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Hey guys,

I am still stuck in the decision between WUSTL and BU for law school. WUSTL offered me 25k, while BU offered me 15k. I have no idea where I want to end up practicing, but I have an inkling that I may prefer the east coast. I searched long and hard and read all the BU vs WUSTL posts in the forumn, but I am still stuck.

Any advice to help someone make a decision that they are unsure of?

DietPepsi12 wrote:WUSTL offered me 25k, while BU offered me 15k.

Total or per year

Per Year

DietPepsi12 wrote:Per Year

Well you're in a bind because BU with $45k is a more than I would pay, but WUSTL doesn't have much rep on the coast. Any retakes left?

If you're dead-set on going this year I would attend whichever is cheaper for you. Is there any reason you would be against this? What are some of the positives/drawbacks for each school that you are struggling with?

It really comes down to where you want to practice. Neither school locks you out of a market per se, but it would be difficult to go east from WUSTL or west from BU. If you really don't care about where you end up, go to the school you like more.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that WUSTL's estimated cost of attendance is about $5k higher than BU's, meaning there's really only a $5k gap between the schools. Now, take that with a grain of salt - schools are known to finesse their COA budgets, big city schools in particular. But comparing costs isn't as simple as just weighing scholarship offers; tuition prices, housing costs, and lifestyle choices (solo or roommate? car or mass tran?) complicate determining which school really is cheaper.

Just a note about the cost of attendances:
WUSTL had ~2700 higher tuition (when you add in BU's student fees). They both have about 12k/yr for room and board - would you rather try to live in the Boston area for 12k/year, or in St Louis at 12k a year? Even with the slightly higher tuition, assuming you would attain the same quality of life (and apartment) in St Louis or Boston, I can't imagine WUSTL actually coming out more expensive.

East Coast or Midwest ?

Shouldn't be a difficult decision, in my opinion, but it depends upon personal preferences.